Comillas brought together the Vatican and SEGIB to discuss artificial intelligence centred on human dignity

Comillas Pontifical University hosted the event ‘Las lecciones de la Carta Encíclica Magnifica Humanitas. Una IA centrada en las personas’, a one-day event that brought together the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, and the Ibero-American Secretary-General, Andrés Allamand, to analyse the ethical, social and political challenges posed by artificial intelligence. The dialogue took as its starting point the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas by Leo XIV and the Ibero-American Charter of Principles and Rights in Digital Environments, placing humans at the centre of technological transformation.

During his speech, Fernández advocated a vision of technology geared towards serving human beings and questioned trends that propose the surpassing or replacement of humanity by technological devices. “Humanity shows itself to be truly magnificent when it safeguards the dignity of individuals, seeks the common good and protects the most vulnerable,” he stated. He also recalled that the encyclical offers an unequivocal defence of the person: “Human dignity is infinite because there is absolutely nothing in this world that can take it away from anyone, not even from the most despised person on earth.” For the cardinal, any technological advance must be subordinate to the common good, fraternity and the protection of the most vulnerable.

For his part, Allamand highlighted the Church’s unique contribution to the debate on artificial intelligence by introducing a perspective centred on human dignity. “Until the Church intervened, there was a duopoly: companies on the one hand, and states on the other. The encyclical safeguards something precious: human dignity,” he noted. He also argued for the need for Latin America to adopt its own stance in relation to the major global technology players: “Latin America need not be either an eagle or a dragon; it can seek a coherent and collective position, in which each country promotes the common good”.

The day continued with a panel discussion featuring José María Lassalle, philosopher, writer and lecturer at Comillas; Marta Pedrajas, a specialist in human development, sustainability and public policy; and Alejandro Kawabata, Director of Legal Affairs at the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB). The participants reflected on issues such as the regulation of artificial intelligence, the protection of rights in digital environments, the concentration of technological power and new forms of inequality. The meeting highlighted the need to build governance frameworks capable of reconciling innovation, technological development and respect for human dignity.

Through initiatives such as this, Comillas Pontifical University reaffirms its commitment to the interdisciplinary analysis of major contemporary challenges and consolidates its role as a forum for dialogue between the academic, institutional and social spheres on the future of technology and its impact on people during the Magnifica Humanitas year.